genius, love it. though i would add: hipster artisanal (coffee, ice cream, grilled cheese sandwich, cupcake) shop to the mix, so the proprietors and their friends can argue, "hey, would you rather have a real independent business like us or a bank?"

A bank or a Duane Reed doesn't sell alcohol and stay open until 4am with screaming idiots out front and or back. It seems to me that folks get all riled up when they hear Starbucks, Duane Reed, Subway etc, but these places are not anywhere as awful as Hearth, Octavia's Porch, The Beagle, Mercadito, Northern Spy or Westville that cater to yuppies from all over the city. Perhaps if more folks got riled up at the fact that CB 3 keeps giving out liquor licenses and showed up at meetings to fight them we wouldn't always be faced with this of a chain or a bank and might get a few real small businesses in the hood. The next CB 3 SLA meeting is on Monday evening and there will inevitably be some blood thirsty a-holes looking fast buck off a liquor license - so get to the meeting and say no - we won't stand for this anymore.

is that our choice? a disruptive bar full of jerks or a chain store full of crap?how about a store that benefits the residents and does not destroy the neighborhood?we should not be arguing with each other over the what is destroying our neighborhood. we should be working together to protect it.

it's true, the real options are chains or frat bars. and while there is no one that hates those frat morons more than me.. i am SO anti-chain, especially when you look at corporate strategy for infesting urban areas, the way they permanently destroy local small business, permanently hike rents, attract others like them, encourage landlords to sell out... i think the damage done by chains is actually far more powerful, lasting, and culturally dangerous....

What about another plant store to replace the one closed down recently due to death of the owner? That doesn't serve liquor and doesn't draw a 'whoohoo' crowd either... Or shoes, fabric, hardware, books, magazines, oh well nevermind.

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